Does she need to gain weight?

I haven't brought my dd to the doctor but I am thinking I may want to.

She just turned 10 y/o last week and is 53" tall. She weighs about 58 lbs. She is VERY active and plays soccer all year. She eats very well. She loves salads and healthy foods and always has. I have noticed lately that the bones on the top of her shoulders are sticking up and she is just so thin. With all the running she does in soccer, I just can't get her to eat enough to actually put on weight.
IS a BMI accurate for a child? If so her's is at 17.5 which is underweight.
Do you think she is too skinny? Do I need to bulk her up a bit?
If so, how? protein shakes?
Any ideas?

 

I'll preface this by saying that this post is based heavily upon my experience as "the skinny one" in the family.

Honestly, I wouldn't make a big deal about her weight. She's active and eats healthy. Aren't we all supposed to be doing that. If you want to sneak in extra calories, do just that. Sneak them in without making a big deal about it.

Why I say that is I have always felt me role in the family was "the skinny one". I was a very quiet middle child with a dominant older sister and younger brother that needed extra attention. What I got attention for was being skinny. Mom actually had to spend time with me when she was altering my sister's old clothes to fit me. Mom actually had to spend time with me to find clothes that fit. In high school, I became bulemic because being the skinny one had become my identity. Even now, as a grown-up, I'm stressing about my brother's wedding in a month where I will see a ton of family really wanting to be sure that I'm still thin. Because, in my head, there's a little part of me that still wants to make sure that I fill that role that I've always had.

I have 2 very skinny kids. They eat mostly healthy and run around, climb trees and just stay busy. I don't worry about it. The doctor even once asked me if I wanted Timothy in feeding therapy because he is so tall and skinny. Dh and I laughed at him because Timothy is child who can eat a 1/4 lb cheeseburger in one sitting and still want dessert. I just don't think there is much benefit to pointing out to a child about their weight when we are the ones who control what goes on the table in front of them.

Marissa

 

I don't think it's a big deal. Brooke is thinner than Morgan. She is 54" and 53/54 lbs. So a tad taller and thinner than your daughter. She has always been on this curve, so she is fine.

According to this chart, it says she is within a normal/healthy range:

BMI chart

 

I would say if you have 'slender' genes in your family I would not worry too much about it, yuo may make her self conscience about her weight and that could led to all new problems!

I , too, was skinny and all angles kid---then I was a teen and I got a bit more weight on my hips/legs, marginal though. I am remain a thin adult-espc through my arms/shoulders.

If you are concerned, talk to her PEDI (preferably w/o her listening) and she what the opinon is. He/She may have some ideas to add calories/protein if she is really athletic or they may think it is fine. Chances are it is A-OK!!

 

I knew asking you ladies would be the right thing to do. You have all brought up so many great points!!
I have had a couple other parents come to me saying they think she is very thin and are concerned about her and I think that is what sparked me real concern. That and seeing her bones literally sticking out.
I too was the very skinny one and she has "my" body so that's where she gets it. Thanks for that BMI calc. When I did it on an adult BMI calc. it said she was underwieght. She is at the bottom of healthy but still good in this one. We talk about healthy foods all the time and I don't put it in terms of weight.
I just went to the store adn bought some higher protein snacks to offer her like sunflowers seeds etc instead of things like pretzels. I also got carnation instant breakfast I could put a spoonful in her chocolate milk. I don't want to make it a big deal for her.

 

I was going to suggest protein but you beat me to it! LOL My oldest is (and always has been) very tall and super skinny. We just offer healthy foods, like you do, and let her make her choices. If I'm feeling like she needs more protein, fruits, etc, my options for snacks/meals might change a little. For protein, I may offer a protein bar vs a regular granola bar or cheese and cracker or yogurt vs graham crackers, etc. I say just remain mindful of what she's eating so she's getting the right amounts of each food group and she'll be fine!

 

I am glad you posted this.

Not all of my children are "skinny" but they are thinner or smaller than their friends and very active. Not active in sports but active outside with free play. I like the suggestions others have made and probably should do some of those also.

My childrens stats are

girl 10 years old 51 1/2 inches tall -- 49 pounds
girl 10 years old 53 1/2 inches tall -- 57 pounds

girl 8 years old 51 inches tall -- 54 pounds
boy 8 years old 51 inches tall -- 55 pounds
girl 8 years old 47 inches tall -- 43 pounds

My smallest is my most active and very strong. My Pedi so far has had no concerns for them because they are healthy and active

 

Alison, I bet it is just her natural body weight at this point, and she will gain naturally as she approaches puberty.

I like your ideas about higher protein snacks and so on. If I may, I'd just like to suggest that you don't actually sneak anything extra into her. At age 10, I think it is better to show her the more nutritious/higher caloric snack options you have made available to her and encourage her to enjoy some of them every day in addition to her regular healthy diet. I just feel that it is probably better to have her listening to her own body's needs and learning to respond appropriately rather than sneaking extras into her diet that she doesn't control or know about. For example, if she suddenly has a weight spurt after puberty and finds it alarming, she may be confused as to why her healthy diet allowed that to happen, and then she might run the risk of developing unrealistic ideas about food and unhealthy eating habits. She needs to know what she is eating in order to understand what diet choices keep her healthiest and happiest.

Actually, I'm sure you won't be hiding extra calories in her food... :laughing: ...knowing you and your good sense! But I just thought I'd mention this because it is something I've heard people suggest many times both on TS and IRL. I think it can be appropriate for babies and toddlers sometimes, but not for older children and pre-adolescents, IMO.

My boys are all skinny, so I keep lots of cheese, whole grain breads and bagels, Instant breakfast and healthy cereals on hand in addition to the usual fruits and so on. We avoid processed snack foods as much as we can, and I also do not keep cookies, chips, pop and similar on hand, except for rare special treats. For a number of years we used whole milk, too (for the boys---I kept skim or 2% for the older girls and myself), but now we have moved to 2% because they are all teenagers now. I encourage them to snack on these after school and before bed if they are feeling peckish. None of my boys can put away a huge dinner as you often hear teenage boys can, so healthy substantial snack options are a good backup. I'd prefer that they eat smaller meals more often since that works for them---I like that they listen to their bodies, and when they are older and no longer need the extra calories, they will gradually stop the extra meals and still be satisfied with a reasonable dinner portion because that has always been their habit.

 

such great support here!
I was going to say something similar to others. . . there's a reason there's a range. Yours is on one end and I think mine's on the other, LOL!
Berkley just turned 8 but is the size of a 10-11 yr old at 53" but our issue is, like I said, at the polar opposite end at 78 lbs. The BMI thing thinks she's overweight and based on stats alone I'd have to agree. But if you see her IRL, she has long, lean legs and no fat rolls, no double chin, etc. . . she's thicker in the middle, but her Pedi said a lot of kids are at this age.
There's such a wide range of "normal" around this age, I think we just have to listen to our instincts. If your DD has a lot of energy and her eyes don't seem dark and other things I'm betting she's fine, thin perhaps but healthy for her!

 

Something else to think about: maybe the other parents who are making comments have just gotten used to seeing chunkier kids?

We opened a new addition to our school in March. In conjunction, we have a bulletin board of pictures through the years, including class pictures from the 50s and 60s. It is so amazing how different the kids look - lots of them actually look "skinny." Granted there were just 10 or so photos up, hardly a scientific study, but it does show you how our perception of what's "normal" has shifted. Not a single group had a kid we'd think of as chubby -- and I think the kids that were teased about being overweight when I was in elementary school (early 70s) would not now stand out at all.

I have one tiny one, too. She's only gained 2 lbs. in the last year. I just try to make sure she has good choices. I don't want to say I'm trying to fatten her up or anything, but I do let her have all the milk she wants, for instance, since she loves it. I just require to eat actual food before she gets more milk.

 

I was concerned about my daughter and talked to the pediatrician. At the time, we were changing our eating habits due to my husband having a heart attack, and I was concerned that a.) a low-fat diet would not be good for the kids, and b.) that not teaching them how to eat right would repeat the cycle. The Dr. asked about my daughter's eating habits and energy levels. She told me that as long as my daughter was eating well, had plenty of energy and was growing at a steady rate that I shouldn't worry. The Dr. then showed me my daughter's growth chart showing that she had been at the same percentile since an infant. The Dr. was very reasurring and informative. I left feeling a lot better about it and I don't worry anymore. (at least about her weight).

In case you are wondering, a low-fat, low-sugar diet is (according to our Dr.) just as good for kids as for adults. I was also told not to give them artificial sweeteners and to avoid high fructose corn syrup as much as possible.